Course Descriptions

Medical Humanities Core Courses

MH 1331 Introduction to Medical Humanities
Introduction to the interdisciplinary and wide-ranging field of medical humanities, its subjects and scope, and the way in which it can expand and enrich the experiences of patients and practitioners.
PHI 1309 Introduction to Medical Ethics
Introduction to philosophical reasoning regarding medical ethics, including confidentiality, intervention in the beginning and ending of human life, and just distribution of medical resources.
MH 2301 Christian Spirituality and Healthcare
A historical framework for Western spiritual traditions, especially the Christian tradition, stressing the relationship between Christian spirituality and healing.

Philosophical Perspectives

PHI 3301 Moral Philosophy
A critical study of problems in moral judgment and evaluation, with analysis of presuppositions and justifications used in moral discourse. Problems such as freedom and determinism, relativism and absolutism, conflicts of duties and ends, grounds of moral obligation, and choices involving personal and social goals are also studied. This course will introduce students to a number of major primary sources in the history of moral philosophy.
PHI 4310 Philosophy of Science
An analysis of philosophical problems about science. Such central concepts as law, causation, induction, hypothesis, theory, verification, and models are studied. Presuppositions and methodologies of different sciences may be examined. The relation of scientific views to moral, social, and metaphysical problems is considered.
PHI 4363 Philosophy and Medicine
Philosophical approaches to clinical medicine and contemporary health care, focusing on experience as a basis for knowledge.

Religion & Spirituality

MH 3342 Medicine, Missions, and Gospel
An overview of the biblical mandate to meet physical and spiritual needs in the context of Christian health care missions.
MH 4361 Meaning, Money, and Medicine
How personal finance concepts relate to a career in health care against the backdrop of Christian spirituality and values. The course connects "vocational calling" to personal character and discusses spending, debt, giving, paying taxes, and investing.
REL 3345 World Religions
Historical, aesthetic, philosophical, anthropological, sociological, and psychological approaches to the major faith traditions of our world.
REL 3390 Christian Ethics
An introductory study of the patterns of reflection and action which characterize the Christian moral life. Attention will be given to Christian responsibility in politics, economics, family life, and other areas of human activity.
REL 4395 Bioethics
Ethical issues in the fields of health care and other life sciences. Some of the issues studied include behavior modification, abortion, euthanasia, health care delivery, human experimentation, and genetic modification. A major research project on a selected issue approved by the professor will be required of each student.
ANT 4360 Anthropology of Religion
(Prerequisites: ANT 2305 and upper-division standing; or consent of instructor)

Myth, ritual, and religion in social and cultural anthropology. Emphasis on structural and functional analysis, including critiques of pertinent classical and contemporary works.

Literature and the Arts

PHI 4325 Literary & Philosophical Perspectives on Medicine
Examination of literature dealing with illness, disease, pain, and death in order to understand better how societal perceptions and values of the care-giver affect the patient. Study of literary, philosophical, and medical works; each student will present a significant work for discussion, together with a major paper in one of these areas.
MH 3300 Visual Arts and Healing
An overview of the connections between visual art, healing and healthcare, the role of imagination and creativity in medicine, including the critical viewing of art, class discussions, experiential learning, and a service-learning project.
ART/CLA 3361 Roman Sculpture
(Prerequisites: ART 2302 and 2303 ART 3353 is recommended)

Roman sculpture from the Republic to Constantine (AD 313) focusing on style and technique with political and social contexts.
GTX 3343 Great Texts in the Origins of Science

A historical overview of the significant developments in the science of the ancient and medieval periods. Students will read selections from Euclid, Archimedes, Pythagoras, Copernicus, Galileo, and others.
GTX 4341 Great Texts in Modern Science
A historical overview of the history and development of the natural and social sciences from the Enlightenment to the present. Students will concentrate on the great texts of science from Bacon, Vico, Newton, Lavoisier, Darwin, Einstein, Heisenberg, Kuhn, and others.

Historical Perspectives

MH 4300 History of Medicine
A review of the origins and development of medicine and medical science from pre-historic times to be present. Consideration will be given to the impact of major diseases on civilization and the emergence of successful measures of control.
CLA 4300 Medicine and Healing in the Ancient World
A survey of the origins of Western medicine in ancient Greece and Rome, from the worlds of Homer and Hippocrates to Galen and the Christians of the early Middle Ages.

Behavioral Health

PSY 3321 Abnormal Psychology
An introduction to historical and modern views of abnormal behavior and a survey of the field of psychological disorders.
PSY 3341 Survey of Human Development
A survey of the field of developmental psychology. Consideration is given to the development of human behavior from conception to death.
PSY 3355 Drugs and Behavior
(Prerequisite: NSC 1306 or consent of instructor). A study of the major drugs used to modify mood and behavior; examination of tolerance, dependence, addiction, and treatment. Substances studied include alcohol, anti-psychotic medications, sedatives, stimulants, analgesics, hallucinogens, and other psychoactive substances.
PSY 3399 Positive Psychology and Well-Being
Positive psychology theory, research, and interventions.
NSC/PSY 4312 Behavioral Medicine
(Prerequisites: NSC 1106-1306 and PSY 2402 or MTH 1321 or consent of instructor)

Topics include the role of mind, brain, and behavior in health, disease and wellness; the history, philosophy, and the current status of health care systems; physiological and behavioral analyses of stress; psychoneuroimmunology; behavioral factors in cardiovascular disease, cancer, drug abuse, and weight management.
PSY 4355 Psychology and Aging
(Prerequisite: PSY 1305 or consent of instructor) Normal and abnormal changes in behavior that occur between early maturity and later maturity, with emphasis on changes in sensation and perception, intelligence, learning, and personality, as well as other areas of a more social psychological nature such as social roles and the impact of environmental changes on older people.
EDP 2336 The Developing Child
A study of the physical, cognitive, and affective development of a child from prenatal to eighteen years of age. Emphasis is placed on current literature, research findings, and development theories.
EDP 3361 Developmental Disabilities
In this course, a review of normal human development provides the basis for an in-depth study of the etiology, characteristics, treatment, and prevention of developmental disabilities including autism, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and seizure disorders.
SWO 4316 Loss and Mourning
Specialized knowledge and skills for loss and grief and therapeutic interventions for the bereaved, including bereaved children. Preparation for work with loss of relationship and health across the lifespan. Emphasis on religious faith and grief, and the response of faith communities and religiously affiliated providers to suicide, divorce, loss of parental rights, and other disenfranchised grief.
SWO 4395 Aging and Mental Health
Mental health needs and related problems of aging individuals with considerable discussion of approved mental health treatments for such persons.

Social Sciences & Health

MH 4372 End of Life Care and Bereavement
This course critically analyzes how healthcare professionals are involved in the dying experience with patients, families, and communities. Topics include causes of death, trauma, spirituality in grief, complicated bereavement, hospice and palliative care, physician-assisted dying, futile treatment at the end of life, and cross-cultural sensitivities.
MH 4382 U.S. Health Care System
An introduction to the current state of health care in the United States including function, economic impacts, payment systems, ideas for reform, and issues related to patient safety and quality measures.
MH 4396 Disability and Society
Critical reflections on questions of humanity, human well-being, understandings of disability, suffering, and care of those with disabilities, with emphasis on cultural, religious, medical and social perspectives.
ANT 1325 Introduction to Global Health
An introduction to global health and illness from a cross-cultural and cross-border perspective.
ANT 4325 Medical Anthropology
Biological and sociocultural aspects of human health, disease, development, aging, and health care. Especially emphasized are the developmental, holistic, and cross-cultural perspectives on disease and the life cycle.
ANT 4330 Epidemiology
(Prerequisite: Some familiarity with quantitative methods, preferably with an elementary knowledge of statistics). Epidemiological concepts and skills pertinent to the understanding of disease. Assessment of cultural, ecological, environmental, occupational, and behavioral factors.
ECO 4350 Economics of Health & Medical Care
Economic aspects of health and medical care: theory, empirical evidence, history, institutions, and public policy.
ENV 3314 Introduction to Environmental Health
Study of environmental hazards to the health of humans and other vertebrates, including pollution, radiation, wastes, urbanization, and climate change. Topics include epidemiology, risk assessment, infectious diseases, emerging contaminants, and regulation.
ENV 4325 Human Health Risk Assessment
(Prerequisite: Credit or concurrent enrollment in ENV 3314 or consent of instructor). Concepts, data sources, and methodologies used in the field of human risk assessment, including environmental hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, risk characterization, and risk communication. Required project utilizing professional risk assessment software. Fee.
SOC 3372 Population Health
Overview of causes of individual differences in health and well-being in the United States. Students examine the magnitude of health disparities by socioeconomic status, gender, race / ethnicity, and age; identify the mechanisms that lead to illness and disease; critically evaluate various theories of health and well-being; and learn how knowledge of health is generated and how biological and sociological concepts of health are operationalized.
SOC 4353 Sociology of Medicine
A sociological examination of health, illness, and the social organization of medical care in the United States. Consideration is given to race, class, gender, and age as factors influencing health, illness, and the delivery of medical care.

Additional Choices for Medical Humanities Electives

MH 4351 Supervised Clinical Medicine
(Prerequisite: Departmental Approval Required) Supervised weekly clinical service through various medical fields complemented by weekly seminar sessions.
MH 4V98 Special Topics in Medical Humanities
Advanced studies in special topics involving the Medical Humanities. In some cases, students will be expected to complete research or a special project (1-3 semester hours, may be repeated up to six semester hours total if topics are different).
MH 4377 Supervised Hospice Care. This course immerses students in hands-on hospice experience including shadowing among hospice professionals and patient companionship in combination with readings and discussion with a peer group, hospice staff, and professor.
MH 4387 Bench to Bedside: Clinical Trials and Translational Science. An overview of how basic science is translated into novel therapies with an emphasis on “real world” clinical trials; course emphasizes observational skills, research ethics, inferential statistics, and the role of clinical trials in medical costs.
PUBH 2330 Introduction to Community Health and Health Promotion
Introduces students to historical and theoretical foundations of community health, major health problems prevalent in society, and the community health models and programs used to address these problems. Overviews seven competency areas of an entry-level health education specialist and their applicability in community settings. Explores career opportunities, mock interviews, and resume and cover letter writing.
PUB 3314 Environmental Health
A course designed for the study of environmental health hazards such as air, water, solid wastes, noise pollution, radiation, pesticides, food additives, metallic menaces, substandard housing, urban environment, and population dynamics. The role of conservation and governmental agencies concerned with pollution control is included in the course.
PUBH 3325 Maternal and Infant Health
The purpose of this course is to provide students contextual insight into multilevel influences that shape current maternal and infant health outcomes. Students will improve their understanding of the historical basis for contemporary global and domestic approaches to prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum practices, as well as public policy.
PUBH 4321 Human Sexuality
A health education course in which basic concepts of human sexuality are analyzed and discussed. The course is designed to help students better understand the influences that affect the complex nature of human interaction and to provide accurate information needed to help develop responsible decision-making skills.
PUBH 4340 Global Health
Overviews global health issues and the role of health education and public health worldwide.
PUBH 4341 Cross-Cultural Health Communication
Overviews cross-cultural communication concepts/strategies used in health education to assess health needs and communicate health information. Designed for field-based international or local culture-specific settings.
PHP 1103 Nature of Health Care Relationships
In this course the nature of healthcare relationships is examined from a number of perspectives, including both the patient and the healthcare provider. The issues explored in this course include both the professional and ethical and the means to cope with them. This is a medical humanities module.
PHP 1105 Foundations of Medicine
A broad survey of the premedical studies, the preparation for medical school admission, and the medical profession.
PHP 1206 Introduction to Health Professions
Introduction to the health professions; the nature of the medical and dental arts; educational skills and basic survival skills in the healthcare professions; overview of graduate level study in health-related professions.
PHP 2101 Foundations of Medical Research
Introduction to clinical/medical research in an academic medical setting, including medical ethics, research modalities, and evaluation tools.
PHP 2102 Medical Research Internship
Internship or research in a clinical setting focusing on formulating a research project, including developing the hypothesis, creating an IRB proposal, gathering and interpreting data, and publishing results.
SPA 2321 Intermediate Spanish for Health Professions
(Prerequisites: SPA 2310, 2311, or 2312 or appropriate score on departmental placement exam or departmental consent) Development of intermediate level skills in comprehension, speaking, reading, writing, and cultural interpretation with an emphasis on medical and scientific issues for prospective medical and health-care professionals. May be substituted for SPA 2320. Fee.
SPA 4321 Advanced Spanish for Health Professions
(Prerequisites: SPA 2321, 3302 and consent of instructor) In-depth experience with Spanish in medical contexts, including a community service-learning component, with emphasis on oral and aural proficiency.
CFS 3324 Children and Families with Special Needs—Social
educational, and vocational challenges faced by families with children with special needs.
CFS 4368 Family Perspectives on Aging
A study of the normative aging process within the family context.
CLA 3381 Medical Terminology
Study of the medical vocabulary of English, based upon Greek and Latin prefixes, stems, and suffixes.